नारदस्त्वथ देवर्षिर्ज्ञात्वा तांस्तु कृतक्षणान्। मार्कण्डेयस्य वदतस्तां कथामन्वमोदत
Then the divine sage Narada, knowing the moment was right, listened with delight to the tale that Markandeya was about to tell.
उवाच चैनं कालज्ञं स्मयन्निव सनारदः। ब्रह्मर्षे कथ्यतां यत्ते पाण्डवेषु विवक्षितम्
Then, smiling, Narada said to that knower of time: 'O Brahmarshi, speak what you wish to say to the Pandavas.'
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः। क्षणं कुरुध्वंविपुलमाख्यातव्यं भविष्यति
Thus addressed, the great ascetic Markandeya replied: 'Wait a moment; what is to be told is vast.'
एवमुक्ताः क्षणं चक्रुः पाण्डवाः सह तैर्द्विजैः। मध्यंदिने यथादित्यं प्रेक्षन्तस्ते महामुनिम्
Thus addressed, the Pandavas, along with those Brahmanas, waited for a moment, gazing at the great sage as one looks at the midday sun.
तं विवक्षन्तमालक्ष्यकुरुराजो महामुनिम्। कथासंजननार्थाय चोदयामास पाण्डवः
Seeing the great sage preparing to speak, the Kuru king, desiring the start of stories, encouraged him.
भवान्दैवतदैत्यानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम्। राजर्षीणां च सर्वेषां चरितज्ञः पुरातनः
You, revered one, know the ancient deeds of gods, asuras, great sages, and all royal sages.
सेव्यश्चोपासितव्यश् मतो नः काङ्क्षितश्चिरम्। अयं च देवकीपुत्रः प्राप्तोऽस्मानवलोककः
You are to be served and worshipped, and have long been desired by us; and this son of Devaki has come to see us.
भ्रमत्येव हि मे बुद्धिर्दृष्ट्वाऽऽत्मानं सुखाच्च्युतम्। धार्तराष्ट्रांश्च रदुर्त्तानृद्ध्यतः प्रेक्ष्य सर्वशः
My mind wanders, seeing myself deprived of happiness, and seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra flourishing in every way.
कर्मणः पुरुषः कर्ता शुभस्याप्यशुभस्य वा। स्वफलं तदुपाश्नापि कथं कर्ता स्विदीश्वरः
A person is the agent of action, whether good or bad; since he himself experiences its result, how then can God be called the doer?
अथवा सुखदुःखेषु नृणां ब्रह्मविदांवर। इह वा कृतमन्वेति परदेहेऽथवा पुनः
Or, O best knower of Brahman, do pleasure and pain follow a person here in this life, or do they accompany him into another body, or again after death?
देही च देहं संत्यज्य मृग्यमाणः शुभाशुभैः। कथं संयुज्यतेप्रेत्य इह वा द्विजसत्तम
And when the embodied soul abandons the body, being pursued by good and bad deeds, how is it joined with them after death, or here, O best of twice-born?
ऐहलौकिकमेवैतदुताहो पारलौकिकम्। क्व वा कर्माणि तिष्ठन्ति जन्तोः प्रेतस्य भार्गव
Is this (result) only of this world, or is it otherworldly? Where indeed do the deeds of a being remain after death, O Bhargava?
त्वद्युक्तोऽयमनुप्रश्नो यथावद्वदतांवर। विदितं वेदितव्यं ते स्थित्यर्थं त्वं तु पृच्छसि
This question you have asked is timely, O best of speakers; what is to be known is known to you, yet you ask for the sake of understanding.
अत्र ते कथयिष्यामि तदिहैकमनाः शृणु। यथेहामुत्र च नर सुखदुःखमुपाश्नुते
Here I will explain this to you; listen with focused mind, how a man experiences pleasure and pain both here and hereafter.
निर्मलानि शरीराणि विशुद्धानि शरीरिणाम्। ससर्ज धऱ्मतन्त्राणि पूर्वोत्पन्नः प्रजापतिः
The Lord of creatures, born in the beginning, created bodies for embodied beings that were pure, spotless, and governed by righteousness.
अमोघफलसंकल्पाः सुव्रताः सत्यवादिनः। ब्रह्मभूता नराः पुण्याः पुराणाः कुरुसत्तम
Those ancient, virtuous men, O best of Kurus, were steadfast in vows, speakers of truth, their intentions never failed, and they were of the nature of Brahman.
सर्वे देवैः समायान्ति स्वच्छन्देन नभस्तलम्। ततश्च पुनरायान्ति सर्वे स्वच्छन्दचारिणः
All of them, at will, would ascend to the sky with the gods, and then, moving freely, they would return again.
स्वच्चन्दमरणाश्चासन्नराः स्वच्छन्दजीविनः। अल्पबाधा निरातङ्काः सिद्धार्था निरुपद्रवाः
They lived and died at will, free in their lives, with little suffering, free from affliction, accomplished, and undisturbed.
द्रष्टारोदेवसङ्घानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम्। प्रत्यक्षाः सर्वधर्माणां दान्ता विगतमत्सराः
They were seers of the assemblies of gods and great sages, perceiving all dharmas directly, self-controlled, and free from envy.
आसन्वर्षसहस्राणि तथा पुत्रसहस्रिणः। ततः कालान्तरे तस्मिन्पृथिवीतलचारिणः
For thousands of years they lived, having thousands of sons; then, in the course of time, they began to move about on the earth.
कामक्रोधाभिभूतास्ते मायाव्याजोपजीविनः। लोभमोहाभिभूताश्च त्यक्ता देवैस्ततो नराः
Overcome by desire and anger, living by deceit and illusion, overpowered by greed and delusion, those men were then abandoned by the gods.
अशुभैः कर्मभिः पापास्तिर्यङ्गिरयगामिनः। संसारेषु विचित्रेषु पच्यमानाः पुनः पुनः
Through evil deeds, the sinful ones went to animal and hellish births, being cooked again and again in the various cycles of existence.
मोघेष्टा मोघसंकल्पा मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः। `काङ्क्षिणः सर्वकामानां नास्तिका भिन्नसेतवः
Their sacrifices, intentions, and knowledge were fruitless, their minds confused, desiring all objects, faithless, and with broken restraints.
सर्वाभिशङ्खिनश्चैव संवृत्ताः क्लेदायिनः। अशुभैः कर्मभिश्चापि प्रायशः परिचिह्निताः
They became suspicious of everything, causing decay, and were generally marked by evil deeds.
दौष्कुल्या व्याधिबहुला दुरात्मानोऽभितापिनः। भवन्त्यल्पायुषः पापा रौद्रकर्मफलोदयाः। नाथन्तः सर्वकामानां नास्तिका भिन्नचेतसः
They became of wicked lineage, afflicted by many diseases, evil-minded, tormented, short-lived, sinful, with the results of cruel actions arising, faithless, desiring all objects, and with broken minds.
जन्तोः प्रेतस्य कौन्तेय गतिः स्वैरिह कर्मभिः। प्राज्ञस्य हीनबुद्धेश्च कर्मकोशः क्व तिष्ठति
O son of Kunti, the fate of a being after death is determined by his own actions here; but where does the store of deeds of the wise and the dull-witted remain?
क्वस्थस्तत्समुपाश्नाति सुकृतं यदि वेतरत्। इति ते दर्शनं यच्च तत्राप्यनुनयं शृणु
Where does he partake of that which is well done, or otherwise? This is your question regarding the vision; now listen to the explanation concerning it.
अयमादिशरीरेण देवसृष्टेन मानवः। शुभानामशुभानां च कुरुते संचयं महत्
This human being, with the primordial body created by the gods, accumulates a great collection of both auspicious and inauspicious deeds.
आयुषोऽन्ते प्रहायेदं क्षीणप्रायं कलेबरम्। संभवत्येव युगपद्योनौ नास्त्यन्तराऽभवः
At the end of life, this worn-out body is abandoned; birth occurs simultaneously, without any interval between the two.
तत्रास्य स्वकृतं कर्म च्छायेवानुगतं सदा। फलत्यथ सुखार्हो वा दुःखार्होवाऽथ जायते
There, his own actions always follow him like a shadow; then, he becomes one who deserves happiness or suffering, and is born accordingly.